In a recent Reddit post, a user shared her story of changing her name after her mother used it for bad reasons. Here’s what happened.
She Wants to Change Her Name
The Original Poster (OP) is a 24-year-old who has embarked on the process of legally changing her birth name.
Growing up in a tumultuous environment, marked by absent parents and a journey through the foster care system, OP has faced numerous challenges.
OP is the oldest of twelve siblings, and her parents were absent due to drug and alcohol use causing the children to end up in the foster care system.
Most of OP’s siblings have been fortunate enough to find loving adoptive families.
Aged Out of Foster Care and Homeless
However, OP herself aged out of the system and found herself without a stable home at the age of 18.
This experience of homelessness further underscored the sense of separation she felt from her family and added to her longing for a fresh start.
One pivotal factor motivating OP’s desire for a name change is the disturbing misuse of her birth name by her mother.
Her Name Was Used for Illicit Activities
Her mother, caught in the grip of drug and alcohol addiction, has resorted to using OP’s name for illicit activities related to prostitution.
This deeply distressing situation not only tarnished OP’s reputation but also threatened her professional aspirations.
Having recently graduated from university with two Bachelor’s Degrees, OP is aware of the importance of cultivating a positive image in her chosen fields.
Her Birth Name Limits Her
She recognizes that her birth name, intertwined with her mother’s actions, may hinder her job prospects and impact her ability to build a successful career.
Changing her name provides a fresh start, untethered from the shadows of her past, and allows her to distance herself from her mother’s activities.
However, things took a turn during a recent family gathering. OP went to the family gathering as her aunt has stage 4 cancer.
OP loves her very much as she was good to her but didn’t have the financial means to help her as she was in a DV situation.
A Barrage of Criticism
OP faced a barrage of criticism from members of her mother’s side of the family.
These relatives, who maintain contact with her mother and are aware of her actions under OP’s birth name, voiced their disapproval of her decision to change her name.
They attempted to guilt-trip her, asserting that she should never have taken this step.
As a result, OP took to Reddit to ask whether she is in the wrong for changing her name.
They Didn’t Care When It Mattered
More than two hundred comments came in saying that she is not wrong.
One Reddit user wrote, “NTA if your family doesn’t want you to change your name, maybe they should’ve tried harder to make you want to associate with them. They have way too many opinions for somebody that wasn’t involved in your life.”
Another Redditor commented, “NTA by a long shot and I’d honestly cut ties with anyone who tried to guilt me into believing otherwise.”
The post She’s Changing Her Name to Shed Traumatic Past: Why Is Her Neglectful Family Suddenly Interested in Loyalty?! first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Cast Of Thousands. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit